Last New Year's Eve Eddie Guerrero lay prone in a hospital bed wondering if
he'd ever wrestle again. He had miraculously walked away from a terrible
car accident. His thoughts turned to his family. A devoted husband and
father, wrestling had allowed him to provide for his family. Now his
livelihood was in jeopardy.

Eddie Guerrero. Courtesy WCW.

He was told his return would be an uphill battle. "It's not going to be
easy," the doctors told him. They questioned whether or not he would make
it.

But he did make it. Through hard work, determination and the power of
prayer, Eddie Guerrero returned to action. And now, as a member of the
Filthy Animals, he's on top of the world.

"I'm ecstatic (about the Filthy Animals)," Guerrero told SLAM! Wrestling
from his home in Florida. "It's the biggest opportunity I've had in my
career. I'm working with guys I really like to work with."

Part of a major program in WCW for the first time, Guerrero is quick to
give credit to head writers Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera.

"What Vince and Ed bring to WCW is phenomenal," stated Guerrero. "They're
really blessed in what they do. I'm very honoured and grateful for the
opportunity they've given me."

He's also impressed with the job they've been doing thus far.

"(With Russo and Ferrera) this is a wrestling company now," joked Guerrero.
"We went from being so disorganized to everything being organized now."

Despite being kept in a mid-card position by Eric Bischoff, Guerrero has
nothing but nice things to say about his former boss.

"I can't say anything bad about Eric Bischoff," admitted Guerrero. "I had
problems with him here and there but he gave me an opportunity and he
brought me in and I'm very grateful for that."

"I really didn't get a push because Eric had given so many people so much
power you couldn't do anything. It was the politics of him keeping his
word to other people that kept me, Chris (Benoit) and Dean (Malenko) down."
Although he's returned to his old form, Guerrero is still leery in the
ring.

"I want to go out there and produce but I still don't feel 100%," admitted
Guerrero. "I was scared to death when I came back. People are always
going to be looking at you and ask, "does he still have it?"

"I'm dealing with a reconstructed ankle and three fractured vertebrae that
I'll have for the rest of my life. I have constant pain."

Guerrero also feels a little self-imposed pressure about living up to his
name. As the son of legendary wrestler Gory Guerrero and with three older
brothers who wrestled, being a Guerrero isn't always the easiest thing in
the world for Eddie.

"Having the name Guerrero opened up doors for me but at the same time I
have to live up to the expectations of my brothers and my dad. It's the
hardest thing because people expect you to live up to the name."

As a member of the Filthy Animals, Guerrero is one of the few Mexican
wrestlers being given a push by the new booking regime. His fellow
countrymen haven't been so lucky.

"They can't speak the language," conceded Guerrero. "It's hard to get a
character over if you can't speak the language. Nowadays, if you're not on
the mic and don't have interview time, you can't get it over."

"They're great in the ring," continued Guerrero. "I tell them all the time
that no matter what (WCW) does to them backstage or in the locker room,
they can't take away what they do in the ring. That's theirs. Nobody can
take that from them."

Looking ahead, Guerrero is excited about being a part of this weekend's
Mayhem PPV in Toronto. Guerrero has a wealth of experience competing in
Mexico, Japan, Central America and several other countries around the
world. Amazingly, this will be his first time wrestling in Canada.

"I'm really excited," said Guerrero. "I've been wanting to come to Canada
for a long time. Especially for a PPV because you get hyped up and the
adrenaline gets going. It's a big deal for Benoit as well."

"Although I'm not looking forward to the cold weather," laughed Guerrero.
"I'm a Florida-boy so if it gets below 70 I start to shake."

Guerrero is also excited about the prospect of Japanese sensation and IWGP
Junior heavyweight champion Jushin "Thunder" Liger touring WCW next month.

"I'd love it if he came," exclaimed Guerrero. "What a worker! He's the
most professional guy in the business. When I wrestled him in Japan, he
taught me more about being a professional than anybody else."

The chance to square off against Liger will also make up for the fact that
WCW sent Benoit and Malenko on a tour with New Japan Pro Wrestling last
month, leaving Guerrero behind.

"I was real mad," kidded Guerrero. "I kept asking why did they get to go
and not me?"